Lockheed L-1011 TriStar KC.1, ZD952 / 1168, Royal Air Force
This picture is © Martin Laycock and may not be used or published without permission.
Registration: ZD952
Construction Number: 1168
Code Number: 952
Military Unit: 216 Squadron
Model Lockheed L-1011 TriStar KC.1
Operator: Royal Air Force
Airport: RAF Fairford (FFD / EGVA), UK - England
Photographer: Martin Laycock
Date Taken: 22/07/1993
Date Submitted: 13/10/2009
Photographed arriving at IAT93, this Tristar wears a much smarter (but less tactical) colour scheme than the overall grey she wears today. She is ex-British Airways G-BFCE, being delivered to them on the 21 July 1979. After the Falklnads War the Royal Air Force needed long-range strategic transports with a air-to-air refuelling tanker capability. To fulfill this requirement the RAF acquired six ex-BA and three ex-Pan Am TriStars. The initial order for the ex-BA machines was placed on the 14 December 1982 with the ex-Pan Am aircraft following on in 1984. Marshall of Cambridge converted the aircraft, out of the six ex-BA Tristars two are configured as tanker/transports and are not fitted with the large cargo door in the forward fuselage, these have the designation Tristar K1 and can carry up to 187 passengers in the rear cabin. The other four aircraft fitted with cargo doors are configured for the tanker/cargo/transport role and have the designation KC1, they can refuel up to four fast jet aircraft while simultaneously carrying up to 31 tonnes of passengers and/or cargo. The ex-Pan Am aircraft are largely unchanged from their civilian airliner days and have no tanker capability, they are operated as passenger aircraft, carrying service personnel to destinations all over the world. Two aircraft are designated as C2 and one is known as a C2A (this one has some military avionics and a new interior fitted), they can carry up to 266 passengers. This particular Tristar was delivered to the RAF on the 28 March 1983, but was leased back by British Airtours on the 15 June 1985 taking up her former civilian identity once again. She was delivered back to the RAF on the 9 October 1985. These venerable aircraft have been worked hard and have seen service in many conflicts including the 1991 Gulf War, Kosovo and more recently during Operation Telic (Iraq) and Operation Veritas (Afghanistan). Although somewhat old, they have been subject to progressive updates, including the fitting of Directional Infra-red Countermeasures and armour around the flight deck area. The Tristar is expected to remain in RAF service until around 2010 when they with be replaced by the Airbus A330 MRTT.
Picture ID:1197338